splashmans - Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism in Japan Video:
Brief Description: Zen

=Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism-comes from the word "Chan" (Chinese word in Japanese pronounciation)-"Chan", in turn, is derived from a Sanskrit word, "dhyana"-emphasis: meditation & intuition-gods they believed in: Guatama Buddha, Amitabha, Medicine Buddha, etc.-first documented in China in 7th century CE-spread towards southern part of Vietnam & east to Korean, Japan-credited to Persian/ South Indian Paliava prince and monk: Bodhidharma-influences on Japanese culture: temples, gardening, ink painting, calligraphy, tea ceremony, military strategies

-Some of the Zen Temples in Japan:

-located in Nagasaki Sofukuji
-constructed in 1629

(Zuisenji Temple) -located in far east of Kamakura

Zuisenji Temple
-founded by Muso Kokushi (=leading Zen master & one of Japan's most famous garden designers
-has rock garden behind

Ryoanji Temple
-belongs toMyoshinji school of Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism

-located in northwestern Kyoto
-is the head temple of the Myoshinji School
-largest of all Zen temples

Zen Schools in Japan:
Hosso and Kegon are noticeable during the earlier influences of Japanese Buddhism, while other independent schools formed pretty late. All of these disparate sects focused their practices on wisdom.

1. Soto

Doctrine: zazen ("sitting meditation"), especially shikantaza
-influnced by Tendai, Hosso, Kegon
-founded by Caoshan, Dongshan in China
-largest

2. Rinzai

Doctrine: zazen ("sitting meditation"), especially koan
-influenced by Hosso, Kegon
-founded by Linji in China
-divided again into several subschools based on temple affiliation: Myoshin-ji, Nanzen-ji, Tenryu-ji, Daitoku-ji, and Tofuku-ji

3. Obaku

Doctrine: kyozen itchi
-influenced by Rinzai
-founded by Ingen in Japan
-smallest

4. Fuke

-influenced by Rinzai
-founded by Puhua Chanshi

Symbols:

Classical symbol: enso
(=circle of enlightenment)
-Shinhenmei, in 6th century, referred to it as a circle of vast space, lacking nothing, and nothing in excess
-has two common symbols:

1. brushstroke of a closed circle
-represents totality of experience and life

2. brushstroke of a circle with one small opening
-represents imperfection found in all things